Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-26
2001-05-29
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S709000, C439S936000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238234
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to terminal blocks, such as those used to connect a multiconductor telecommunications cable to drop wires feeding a local telephone distribution, and more particularly to such terminal blocks having dielectric material used to insulate the interior electrical contacts and mechanisms from adverse ambient conditions such as dirt and grime.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a application owned by the assignee of the present application Ser. No. 08/948,973 entitled Terminal Block, filed Oct. 10, 1997, and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,240 the structure of a terminal block is described in great detail. The description in that application is incorporated herein by reference.
As disclosed in the above-identified application, a cavity formed between an upper housing and a base where electrically conductive contacts and actuator mechanisms are located, is filled with a viscous dielectric material. The dielectric material, in the form of a gel, cures at the site to protect the mechanisms and the contacts from ambient or environmental conditions. For example, the terminal block may be located in an outdoor cabinet exposed to climatic conditions. Encasing or potting the conductive contacts and mechanisms in a dielectric material insulates these items from inclement weather, moisture, dirt and other undesirable elements which might interfere with the electrical connection between the contacts and the distribution feed wires.
In operation of the terminal block, the actuator mechanism is moved upwardly and downwardly when feed wires are engaged with or disengaged from the electrical contacts. However, during movement of the actuators, some of the gel is displaced through openings in the terminal block. When this happens, tools being used by the technician to operate the actuators may stick to the dielectric material and may cause some of the gel to be pulled away from the terminal block thereby degrading the protection offered by the material. Also, the material, if a gel, responds like a rubber band to movement. It biases whatever was moved back to its original position even though this may be undesirable. Further, the dielectric material is expensive, both in product and labor if it must be replaced. Also, dielectric material extruded out of the terminal block may pick up grime from the outer surface of the block. If the material is then pulled back into the block as usually happens, the adhering grime may also be pulled into the block and may interfere with the electrical functioning of the contacts.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The difficulties encountered with existing systems have been overcome by the present invention. What is described here is a terminal block adapted to connect to an electrical cable comprising a base, an electrically conductive contact mounted to the base, an actuator slidably mounted to the contact and movable from a lowered position wherein an electrical conductor may be retained in physical engagement with the conductive contact to a raised position wherein the electrical conductor, such as a feed wire, may be engaged with or disengaged from the electrically conductive contact, the actuator having a front wall, a rearwardly extending support wall connected to the front wall, a threaded portion connected to the rearwardly extending support wall, and an intermediate partition wall connected to the support wall, the intermediate partition wall having front and rear surfaces, a threaded bolt engaging the threaded portion of the actuator for moving the actuator between the lowered and the raised positions, an outer housing for engaging the base and for partially covering the electrically conductive contact, the actuator and the threaded bolt, the outer housing having a top wall, a back wall connected to the top wall, a front wall connected to the top wall and lateral interior chamber forming walls extending between the front and the back walls, the lateral interior walls cooperating with the partition wall of the actuator for forming first and second chambers between the base and the outer housing, the first chamber having disposed therein the front wall, the rearwardly extending support wall and the front surface of the intermediate partition wall of the actuator and the conductive contact, and the second chamber having disposed therein the threaded portion of the actuator and the threaded bolt, and a dielectric material positioned in the first chamber and cured therein when said actuator is in the lowered position for forming an environmental barrier about the electrically conductive contact.
The invention also includes a method for limiting the amount of dielectric material used in the terminal block comprising the steps of inverting the outer housing so that the top wall is lowermost and the interior is exposed, injecting the dielectric material into the interior, inserting the actuator, bolt and contact into the interior, rotating the outer housing about 90 degrees so that the front wall is lowermost, and curing the dielectric material in the interior.
An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal block which uses less dielectric material and therefore saves money and yet enhances protection of the internal mechanisms and the conductive contacts of the terminal block. Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal block having a dielectric material where exposure of the dielectric material outside the terminal block is reduced. A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a terminal block having a dielectric material where the effect of the dielectric material on the operation of the internal mechanisms of the terminal block is minimized. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a dielectric containing terminal block which reduces the contact of the dielectric material with tools used to operate the mechanism in the terminal block when engaging or disengaging electrical feed wires. Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a method for limiting the amount of dielectric material used in a terminal block, the method being inexpensive, effective and reliable.
A more complete understanding of the present invention and other objects, aspects, aims and advantages thereof will be gained from a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiment read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings provided herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4600261 (1986-07-01), Debbaut
patent: 4634207 (1987-01-01), Debbaut
patent: 4864725 (1989-09-01), Debbaut
patent: 4993966 (1991-02-01), Levy
patent: 5140746 (1992-08-01), Debbaut
patent: 5149278 (1992-09-01), Waas et al.
patent: 5357057 (1994-10-01), Debbaut
patent: 5639992 (1997-06-01), Debbaut
patent: 6074240 (2000-06-01), Bradshaw et al.
Jones Day Reavis & Pogue
Marconi Communications Inc.
Vu Hien
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